The Sports Bros.

It's the worst sports time of the year: But Blake, Jimmer & a Fathead save theday

Now's the time to familiarize yourself with the dunks of Blake Griffin.
Or the sweet shooting stroke of Jimmer Federette.
Or just buy a Fathead for decorating with class.

As avid sports fans, this is the time of year we dread the most. The Super Bowl is quite possibly the year's most anticipated event, and once it's over, reality slowly starts to set in.

You wake up with a hangover — in more ways than one. You come to the slow realization that, until March Madness, there may very well be nothing good on.

Your brain starts to race. You could watch Duke play North Carolina, but knowing the tournament is where the money's at, a win/loss there does nothing for any of us (unless you're an alum or live in the central portion of North Carolina).

You're watching baseball stars show up in Florida and Arizona, and all you can do is wait for is Opening Day.

It all starts to set in: It's a bleak time. It's officially the sports doldrums.

We have no more excuses on Saturdays or Sundays to get out of events and functions — we have no football.

Baseball season is still a ways away, and pitchers and catchers reporting don't excite us all that much.

And for a good portion of sports fans (sorry lower Southeast), NASCAR doesn't fill the void. (NASCAR: It's like going to a bar, ordering a Guinness and the bartender saying, "Sorry, we're out of that. Would you like a Mich Ultra instead?")

And certainly no one cares about the PGA Tour now that Tiger Woods isn't being a transcendent talent.

And why is tennis is always on at 4 a.m.?

If you think like we do, than you're gonna need some help. Don't worry: The Sport Bros. will cure your sports hangover.

Watch all of the Friday Night Lights TV series

Barry is a self proclaimed TV snob, and according to him, this show totally delivers.

"It uses high school football in a small Texas town as a vehicle to discuss all sorts important issues," he says. "The characters are so three-dimensional — I dare you to not get emotionally attached to them. There’s suspense, drama, romance, comedy, and great football. If you’re concerned it’s more of a teen drama than a football show, the show takes great steps to make the football sequences extremely authentic."

Quick hint: If a significant other of yours is not a football fan, have he or she watch this show with you. It features — at maximum — five minutes of football an episode, so it might trick them into enjoying the sport. Kyle Chandler gives a perfect portrayal of Coach Taylor, the archetype of a TV hero.

Not only will this show fill your football void, but, as Barry can’t stress enough, WATCH THIS SHOW.

No spoilers: The series literally ended Feb. 9, and it totally delivered. (If you're curious, read his series review.)

Get familiar with Blake Griffin

The Blakeshow. The Poster Child. Blakeasaurus Rex. (That last one was Barry’s creation.) This LA Clipper is single-handedly the most exciting player in the NBA right now.

His athleticism and energy is amazing to behold. He's literally a human highlight reel providing thunderous dunks night after night — highlights we haven’t seen since Jordan or early Iverson. Just check out a few of these highlights.

Trust me: There’s room on the bandwagon for us all.

Start learning about college basketball

Filling out your March Madness bracket is a magical time. It's a whole month of your life, and you don't want to be left with egg on your face. Start doing the research now.

Let's play a game right quick. A sporcle of sorts. In 20 seconds, name the Top 10 college basketball teams.

Ready? We’ll wait...

I bet you could get a few: Kansas, Texas, Ohio State, Duke.

Did you nail San Diego State? BYU? Notre Dame? Wisconsin? Pittsburgh?

What’s great about this year is we have a few teams at the top who aren't familiar with the territory. There might not be a more exciting player in college basketball than BYU’s Jimmer Fredette, for example. He launches deep threes with reckless abandon and deadly accuracy. Thirty-foot bombs are like free throws to this kid.

Seriously, next time BYU plays, search the hashtag #jimmer on Twitter, and you’ll see the national obsession with this Cougar.

If it’s more in-depth analysis you crave, two of the better sites for great information are the 2011 Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings (for info on teams) and Brian's Big Board (for NBA draft analysis on this year’s prospects).

Redecorate!

There’s only one way a true fan redecorates. Two words: Customizable Fatheads! Best $139.99 you’ll ever spend.

unspecified

in this corner

Premier Japanese women's wrestling league performs in Houston this weekend

Two Japanese women wrestlers compete in a ring. One is stomping in the other with both feet.

Photo courtesy of Tokyo Joshi

Hard-hitting women's wrestling for two nights in Houston

For the first time ever, one of Japan's premier women's wrestling promotion, Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling, will be touring Texas, with a two night stay in Houston this week.

"Bringing TJPW to Texas reflects Tokyo Story’s broader strategy," said a TJPW spokesperson via email. "As a Japan-inspired toy and event company, we see major Southwest cities — especially in Texas — as prime for the growth of Asian pop culture. Houston, Dallas, and others are becoming more diverse, culturally curious, and open to new entertainment formats. This isn’t a one-off stop — it’s part of a long-term push to bring Japan’s creativity to cities with eager audiences. And we are making TJPW Live an annual event!"

The events happen on Thursday, July 10 and Friday, July 11 at POST Houston (401 Franklin). Tickets are available at TokyoStoryUSA.com.

TJPW split off from DDT Wrestling in 2012 as a sister promotion that ran alongside its male counterpart before becoming its own entity in 2015. In that time, they've launched the career of international superstars like Yuka Sakazaki and Mina Shirakawa (both currently signed to All Elite Wrestling in America), as well as hosting non-Japanese guest grapplers like Thunder Rosa.

The fighting is excellent and often brutal, but TJPW is also known for its playfulness. Matches embrace anime-like absurdity, such as having a wrestler work in a giant panda mascot costume. The promoters are hoping to one day partner with Texas truck stop icon Buc-cee's for a more mascot shenanigans. Many of the women also perform in J-pop girl groups on of their wrestling duties.

On Night 1, strike specialist Miyu Yamashita will take on Maki Itoh, known for her flamboyant style and high risk maneuvers. Night 2 will feature much of the local guest talent, such as Houston's own Kaylia Capri (Reality of Wrestling) vs Yuki Arai in a singles bout, and Austin's Vert Vixen teaming with reigning TJPW tag champ Hyper Misao. Other Texans slated to appear ar Maya World, Alejandra Quintanilla, and Billie Starkz.

The last decade has seen a marked rise in the quality and prestige of women's wrestling in America, with WWE hosting all-women Royal Rumbles and stars like Rhea Ripley and "Timeless" Toni Storm becoming household names. Most major promotions now feature robust line-ups of Japanese women wrestlers, with some like Asuka and Iyo Sky becoming world champions.

For Japan, women's wrestling has a more consistent history of legitimacy going back decades, and the talent pool there is vast. TJPW branching out into Texas tours gives them a chance to showcase their wrestlers in the land that spawned legends like The Undertaker, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, and the Von Erich Family.

"The response has been overwhelmingly positive," said the TJPW spokesperson. "Many who had never experienced joshi (women’s) wrestling before are discovering how entertaining, emotional, and uniquely captivating it is. Since announcing the Texas shows, we’ve received a flood of enthusiastic messages — not just from wrestling fans, but from people drawn to the theatricality, comedy, and creativity of TJPW. We've also heard from fans in other states asking us to bring the tour to their cities."